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11.25 


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Hiot^raphic 

^Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

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et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  lo  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1  2  3 


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TWO 


WESTERN   CAMPAIGNS 

In  the  War  of  1812-13. 


I.    Expedition  of  Captain   Henry   Brush, 
with  Supplies  for  General  Hull,  18 12. 


2.    Expedition  of  Governor  MEiGs,y2?r  the 
Relief  of  Fort  Meigs,  1 8 1 3 . 


BY 


Samuel  Williams. 


CINCINNATI : 

ROBERT    CLARKE    &    CO., 

1870. 


OHIO  VALLEY  PRESS, 

JtOBEliT  CLARKE, <■  CO. 

CINCINNATJ,  O. 


(1 


iitroductory. 


:  AMUEL  WILLIAMS,  the  author  of  this  narrative,  was, 
g  for  many  years,  a  resident  of  Cincinnati,  and  more  than 
"^  fifty  a  resident  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  Thirty  years  of 
this  time  he  was  connected  with  the  surveys  of  public  lands 
north-west  of  the  Ohio,  as  chief  clerk  of  the  Surveyor  Gen- 
eral's  office.  In  this  capacity  he  rendered  important  service, 
having  had  the  principal  oversight  of  the  official  business,  and 
the  direction  of  the  work  in  the  field. 

He  was  born  in  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  in  the  year  1786,  and 
was   brought  up  among  the  mountains  in  an  adjoining  county. 
In  the  year  1800,  .t  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  joined  the  Method- 
ist   Episcopal  Church,  and  three   years  subsequently  removed 
with  his  father's  family  to  Charleston,  on  the  Kanawha  river,  in 
Western  Virginia.     He  and  his  mother  were  the  first  Method- 
ists who  settled  in  that  valley,  and  aided  in  the  formation  of  the 
first  Methodist  class  on  that  river.     In   1807,  he  removed  to 
Chillicothe,  in  this  state,  and  twenty  years  afterward  to  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  resided  until  his  death  in  1859. 


VI 


Introductory, 


Though  without  the  advantages  of  an  academic  education,  he 
was  a  man  of  much  reading,  extensive  information,  and  thorough 
culture.  He  accumulated  a  large  library,  of  which  he  made 
diligent  use,  and  to  the  day  of  his  death,  his  fondness  for  study 
and  iiierary  pursuits  remained  unabated.  Mr.  Williams  took  a 
deep  interest  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  Methodist  Church, 
and  had  collected  a  considerable  mass  of  materials  to  serve  for 
a  history  of  Methodism  in  the  West.  This  collection  he  gave, 
but  a  few  days  before  his  death,  to  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity at  Delaware,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  trustees.  Other 
matters  of  historic  interest  he  made  a  subject  of  study,  and  in 
antiquarian  researches  he  took  great  delight. 

He  retired  from  active  business  in  1845,  ^'^■^  spent  the  last 
years  of  his  life  with  his  family.  Most  of  this  time  was  passed  in 
much  bodily  affliction,  but  he  was  not  idle.  He  found  opportu- 
nity to  prepare,  for  the  use  of  his  family,  a  full  account  of  his 
own  history,  and  that  of  his  ancestors,  and  to  gather  up  a  com- 
plete genealogy  of  their  families,  embracing  several  hundred 
names.  His  personal  memoirs  comprise  five  large  quarto 
volumes  of  manuscript,  making  about  twelve  hundred  pages. 
Among  these  are  numerous  sketches  of  early  times  in  the  West, 
descriptions  of  pioneer  life  and  customs,  modes  of  dress,  h?,bits  of 
living,  styles  of  houses  and  their  furniture,  and  details  of 
domestic  employments  and  public  service. 

This  narrative  of  his  military  campaigns  in  181 2  and  18 13, 
is  taken  from  his  manuscripts,  and  was  published  in  the  Ladies* 
Repository  in   1854.     To  that  magazine  he  contributed  several 


<  ■', 


Introductory. 


VII 


chapters  of  sketches,  and  these  among  them.  In  preparing  his 
copy  for  the  press,  Mr.  Williams  purposely  wrote  in  the  third 
person,  except  when  giving  direct  quotations  from  his  own 
letters.  A  few  additions  to  this  account  have  been  made  from 
his  manuscripts,  by  his  son,  who  furnishes  the  nairative  for  this 
work.  As  this  is  the  only  history  of  the  two  expeditions  herein 
mentioned,  it  was  thought  well  to  include  it  in  the  Ohio 
Valley  Historical  Series.  It  throws  light  upon  several  points  of 
Ohio  history,  and  forms  in  itself  a  complete  episode  in  the  war 
with    Great  Britain. 


f  If 


\.   Expedition   (j/^  Captain    Henry   Brush, 
with  supplies  for  General  Hull^  1 8 1 2. 


t 


i :. 


THE  war  with  Great  Britain  in  1812,  '13,  and  '14, 
was  an  eventful  period  in  the  history  of  our 
country,  and  was  fruitful  of  thrilling  incidents  and  stir- 
ring exploits,  of  deep  concern  at  the  time,  and  of  much 
interest  even  at  this  day. 

The  declaration  of  war  was  made  by  an  act  of  Con- 
gress, passed  in  secret  session,  on  the  i8th  of  June, 
1 8 12.  Two  or  three  months  prior  to  that  declaration 
and  in  anticipation  of  it,  a  large  military  force  was 
drawn  together  at  Cincinnati,  under  the  command  of 
Brigadier  General  William  Hull,  an  old  and  distin- 
guished veteran  officer  of  the  Revolutionary  army. 
The  force  thus  concentrated  was  called  the  "  North- 
Western  Army,"  and  soon  marched  for  the  north- 
western frontier — the  Detroit  river.  A  regiment  of 
Ohio  volunteers  from  Cincinnati,  under  Colonel  James 
Findlay,  marched  with  General  Hull.  At  Urbana  he 
was  joined  by  two  other  regiments  of  Ohio  volunteers, 
from  the  Scioto  and  Muskingum  valleys,  under  the 
command  respectively  of  Colonel  Duncan  McArthur 
and  Colonel  Lewis  Cass.     A  few  miles  north  of  Urbana 


I 


10 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


the  army  entered  the  wilderness,  and  from  thence  to  the 
Grand  Rapids  of  the  Maumee  river,  about  a  hundred 
miles,  had  to  be  cut  and  opened  a  wagon  road  liirough 
a  dense  unbroken  forest.  It  was  the  intention  of  the 
Secretary  of  War  that  the  army  should  reach  Detroit 
before  war  would  be  declared,  and  ample  time  was 
given  General  Hull  to  do  so  ;  but  from  want  of  energy 
on  his  part,  the  dispatch  from  the  War  Department 
announcing  the  "  Declaration,"  found  him  and  his  army 
at  the  foot  of  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee.  To  expedite 
the  march  thence  to  Detroit,  General  Hull  chartered  a 
schooner  then  in  the  Maumee  Bay,  on  board  of  which 
he  put  "  large  portion  of  the  army  baggage  and  provis- 
ion, together  with  his  military  chest,  and  all  his  papers, 
including  the  official  copy  of  the  Declaration  of  War, 
and  all  his  instructions,  plans  of  the  campaign,  etc.,  to 
be  shipped  to  Detroit.  This  schooner,  while  on  its 
passage  up  the  Detroit  river,  was  seized  by  the  British 
naval  force  lying  at  anchor  opposite  Fort  Maiden,  on 
the  Canada  side.  General  Brock,  the  British  Comman- 
der-in-chief on  that  frontier,  had,  through  the  vigil- 
ance of  British  spies  at  Washington,  been  put  in  pos- 
session of  the  fact  of  the  declaration  of  war  before  it 
reached  General  Hull,  and  hence  the  capture  of  the 
schooner.  The  loss  of  this  vessel  and  its  valuable  car- 
go was  disastrous  to  the  American  army ;  while  the 
possession  of  the  instructions  and  plans  of  the  cam- 
paign from  the  War  Department,  and  the  baggage   and 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


II 


military  stores,  was  a  mo?t  important  acquisition  to  the 
en^my.  And  General  Brock,  as  a  skillful  and  experi- 
enced soldier,  well  availed  himself  of  this  advantage,  as 
the  sequel  will  show. 

That  General  Hull  must  have  foreseen — perhaps, 
deliberately  intended  —  the  capture  of  this  richly 
freighted  schooner  by  the  enemy,  seems  hardly  to  admit 
of  a  doubt.  And  this  is  manifest  by  the  history  and 
disastrous  termination  of  this  first  campaign  of  the 
North-Western  Army,  and  by  the  subsequent  trial  of 
the  General  before  a  military  court-martial,  and  the  sen- 
tence of  death  passed  upon  him  for  treason. 

The  British  fleet  having  the  command  of  Lake  Erie, 
the  only  route  by  which  supplies  could  reach  the  army 
at  Detroit  was  overland,  by  very  bad  roads,  from  the  set- 
tlements in  southern  Ohio,  a  distance  of  over  two  hun- 
dred miles,  and  at  an  enormous  expense.  The  transit 
of  provisions  was  not  only  very  ted!  .as,  but,  as  the 
intermediate  wilderness  was  occupied  in  force  by  hos- 
tile tribes  of  Indians  in  the  interest  and  employ  of  the 
enemy,  every  brigade  of  wagons  or  pack-horses,  or 
drove  of  beet  attle,  had  to  be  guarded  by  a  strong  mil- 
itary force.  'I'o  keep  the  communication  with  the  army 
open,  was  made  the  duty  of  the  Ohio  militia.  About 
the  1 8th  of  July  Governor  Meigs,  then  at  Chillicothe, 
received  by  express,  the  following  dispatch  from  Gen- 
eral Hull : 


In 


1^1 

''4 


I! 


12 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


"  Detaoit,  iiM  July,  i8i2. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  The  army  arrived  here  on  the  5th  inst. 
I  have  now  only  time  to  state  to  you,  that  we  are  very 
deficient  in  provisions,  and  I  have  authorized  Mr. 
Piatf''  to  furnish  a  supply  for  two  months. 

"  The  communication  must  be  preserved  by  youf 
militia,  or  this  army  will  perish  for  the  want  of  provis- 
ions. We  have  the  fullest  confidence  that  you  will  do 
all  in  your  power  to  prevent  so  distressing  a  calamity 
to  this  patnotic  army. 

"  I  am,  very  respectfully, 

"Your  most  ob't  serv't, 

"W.Hull. 
"///j  Excellency,   R.  J.   Meigs, 

^^  Governor  of  Ohio." 

The  original  autograph  letter  from  which  we  copy  the 
above  was  preserved  by  Mr.  Williams,  and  stitched 
by  him  into  the  autobiographical  sket'  hes  which  he 
made  for  the  use  of  iiis  family.  How  he  became  pos- 
sessed of  this  impoi  lant  official  document  he  has  now  no 
recollection;  but  supposes  it  had  been  handed  to  him 
by  Governor  Meigs,  about  the  time  of  its  receipt,  to 
copy,  and  in  the  hurry  of  the  moment  its  return  over- 
looked.    The  letter   has   been  in   his   possession   ever 


*The  late  John  H.  Piatt,  of  Cincinnati,  who  was  Commissary  General 
of  the  North-Western  Army. 


■ 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


13 


since,  and  is  now  first  given  to  the  world  as  a  scrap  of 
the  history  of  the  times.  The  reader  will  not  fail  to 
notice  the  coincidence  between  the  forebodings  of  Gen- 
eral Hull  in  ':he  above  letter  and  the  plea  which  he 
afterward  set  up  in  jusiification  of  his  disgraceful  sur- 
render of  Detroit  and  the  whole  army — t!:at  their  pro- 
visions were  nearly  exhausted,  and  that  a  supply  could 
not  be  obtained  in  time  to  save  it  from  perishing  ! 
The  expostulations  of  his  field  officers--his  proper 
advisers — were  unheeded.  The  General  kept  his  own 
counsels.  He  knew  what  he  was  about.  And  now,  to 
save  appearances,  he  seemingly  bestirs  himself,  and 
"  authorizes,"  his  Commissary  to  "  furnish  a  supply 
for  two  months,"  and  appeals  to  the  sympathies  cf 
Governor  Meigs  to  save  his  patriotic  army  from  star- 
vation, by  keeping  the  communication  open  through 
the  wilderness  !  Governor  Meigs  needed  no  appeal  to 
his  sympathies,  and  General  Hull  knew  it. 

With  the  dispatch  from  General  Hull,  Governor 
Meigs  received  a  communication  from  Colonel  Piatt, 
then  at  Urbana,  stating  that  a  brigade  of  pack-horses, 
loaded  with  flour,  together  with  a  drove  of  beef  cattle, 
would  be  ready  to  leave  that  place  for  the  army,  so  soon 
as  the  Governor  could  furnish  a  military  escort  to  guard 
the  supplies  through  the  wilderness.  On  the  following 
morning  Governor  Meigs  called  a  meeting  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Chillicothe,  and  announced  the  requisition   for 

a  company  of  militia  for  the  above  purpose,  proposing 

2 


' 


H 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


to  the  meeting  that  a  company  of  volunteers  be  imme- 
diately raised,  instead  of  the  tedious  process  of  draft- 
ing the  requisite  force.  The  call  was  promptly  re-, 
sponded  to,  and  in  an  hour  or  two  ninety-five  patriotic 
citizens — mechanics,  merchants,  lawyers,  and  others — 
formed  themselves  into  a  volunteer  company,  and  tend- 
ered their  services  to  the  Governor.*  After  electing 
their  officers,  and  adopting  a  uniform,  the  busy  note  of 
preparation  for  an  immediate  march  followed.  Twenty- 
four  hours  after  its  organization,  fully  armed  and  equip- 
ped, this  fine  company  took  up  its  line  of  march  for  De- 
troit, by  way  of  Urbana,  where  the  supplies  were  to  be 
placed  under  its  escort,  intending,  on  reaching  Detroit, 
to  tender  their  services  to  General  Hull,  and  join  the 
North- Western  Army. 

Before  setting  out  with  the  company  on  its  march,  it 
may  be  well  to  describe  their  dress,  arms,  and  accouter- 
ments.  Every  one,  officers  and  men,  were  alike  dressed 
in  unbleached,  tow-linen  hunting  shirts,  and  trowsers  of 
the  same  material,  with  low-crown  hats,  on  the  left  side 
of  which  were  worn  black  cockades  about  two  inches  in 
diameter,  on  the  center  of  which  were  displayed  small 
silver  eagles  about  the  size  of  a  silver  quarter-dol- 
lar. Around  the  waist  of  each  was  a  stout  leather  gir- 
dle ;  in  a  leather  pocket  attached  to  this  was  slung  be- 
hind a  good  sized  tomahawk,  and   in   a   leather  sheath, 


*For  muster  roll  of  Captain  Brush's  company,  see  Appendix. 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1 812-13. 


15 


also  attached  to  the  girdle,  hung  a  medium  sized  butch- 
er-knife. On  the  right  hip,  attached  to  a  broad  leather 
strap,  thrown  over  the  left  "houlder  hung  the  cartridge- 
box,  filled  with  ball-cartridges.  On  the  left  side,  in  a 
leather  sheath,  suspended  to  another  broad  leather  strap, 
thrown  over  the  right  shoulder,  hung  the  bayonet.  On 
the  same  side  hung  also  a  tin  canteen,  holding  about  a 
quart,  suspended  to  a  small  leather  strap  over  the  right 
shoulder.  The  fire-arm  was  a  United  States  musket, 
with  bayonet,  and  a  leather  strap  by  which  to  sling  the 
musket  over  the  shoulder,  for  more  convenient  carry- 
ing when  on  a  march.  The  knapsack  was  a  heavy, 
linen  sack,  painted  and  varnished,  about  sixteen  inches 
wide,  and  of  the  same  depth,  with  a  flap  on  the  under 
side,  thrown  over  the  mouth,  and  tied  by  strings.  To 
the  upper  and  lower  corner  on  each  side  was  a  strap 
through  which  to  pass  the  arms.  The  knapsack  was 
the  repository  of  the  changes  of  clothing,  and  such 
articles  of  necessity  or  convenience  as  each  might  choose 
to  take  along.  On  the  top  was  lashed  the  blanket,  and 
over  this  a  piece  of  oil-cloth  to  protect  all  from  the 
rain.  The  knapsack  was  slung  on  the  back,  and  the 
straps  through  which  the  arms  passed  were  tied  by  an- 
other strap  across  the  breast.  The  arms  and  accouter- 
ments  including  the  knapsack,  weighed  about  thirty  or 
thirty-five  pounds. 

Thus  armed  and  equipped,  this  patriotic  company 
took  up  its  line  of  march  on  the  morning  of  July  21, 


i6 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


1812,  under  the  command  of  Captain   Henry  Brush,  a 
distinguished  lawyer  of  Chillicothe,  who  still   survives, 
residing  upon  his  farm  in  Madison  county,  Ohio.*     A 
large  number  of  the  citizens  of  Chillicothe,  in   proces- 
sion, escorted    the  company  beyond   the  limits   of  the 
town,  where  a  brief  farewell  address  was  made  by  a  citi- 
zen, and  responded  to  by  Captain   Brush   on   behalf  of 
the  company.     A  full  narrative  of  the  campaign  is  given 
by  Mr.  Williams,  who  was  a  member  of  the  company, 
in  a  series  of  letters   to   his  wife,  written   from   almost 
every  night's   encampment.     Occasional  extracts  from 
these  letters  are  given,  as  they  were  written  under  the 
vivid  impressions  of  the  moment,  and  contain  a  fresh- 
ness and  a  lifelike  picture  of  passing  incidents,  which 
can  not  otherwise  be  imparted  to  the  condensed  sketch 
to  which  we  must  limit  ourselves. 

The  first  day's  march  was  twenty-one  miles,  to  Gen- 
eral Timmons',  where  they  encamped  in  a  grove,  lying 
on  the  ground  in  the  open  air,  without  tents.  The 
march  next  day  was  over  thirty  miles,  through  the 
"  barrens,"  or  open  plains,  where  the  men  were  exposed 
nearly  all  day  to  the  fierce  rays  of  a  midsummer's  sun, 
in  very  sultry  weather.  A  march  of  nineteen  miles  the 
third  day  brought  them  to  Urbana,  in  the  afternoon, 
where  they  encamped   on   the  commons.     The   indoor 


*This  was  written  in  1854— Capt.  Brush  died  the  next  year,  January 
16,  1855,  aged  78  years. 


■r 


ii]  i'  i 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1 8 12-13. 


17 


occupations  of  nearly  all  the  company  wholly  unfitted 
them  for  long  marches  on  foot  and  exposure  to  the  sun, 
carrying  each  a  weight  of  thirty  pounds,  and  trammeled 
by  the  straps  and  fastenings  of  his  accouterments. 
Marching  thus  all  day,  and  sleeping  at  night  on  the  cold 
ground,  without  tents,  was  very  severe.  Mr.  Wil- 
liams, writing  to  his  wife  from  Urbana  on  the  24th, 
says,  "My  limbs  were  so  stiff  and  sore  at  the  end  of 
each  day's  march  that  I  could  hardly  walk." 

An  express  arrived  from  Detroit  on  Wednesday  night 
bringing  dispatches  from  the  army,  by  which  It  appeared 
that  the  forces  in  Maiden  were  one  hundred  and  fifty 
regulars,  four  or  five  hundred  militia,  and  as  many  In- 
dians, whose  canoes  were  all  destroyed  to  prevent  their 
desertion ;  for  both  they  and  the  militia  took  every  op- 
portunity to  desert. 

The  company  remained  in  camp  at  Urbana  two  days. 
Here  they  were  engaged  in  preparing  their  arms,  making 
cartridges,  running  bullets,  carrying  in  military  stores, 
and  in  drilling,  to  become  familiar  with  military  exer- 
cises. The  camp  was  laid  out  in  military  style  and  sen- 
tries posted  at  night,  the  same  precautions  being  taken 
against  an  alarm  or  an  attack  as  if  they  were  already  in 
the  enemy's  country. 

The  company  resumed  its  march  on  the  25th,  having 
in  charge  a  brigade  of  seventy  pack-horses,  each  laden 
with  two  hundred  pounds  of  flour,  in  a  bag,  lashed  on 
a  pack-saddle;  and  a  drove  of  about  three  hundred  beef 


iii 


i8 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


cattle.  The  order  of  march  was  this  :  a  scouting-party 
of  three  or  four  men  went  in  advance,  a  half  a  mile  or 
more ;  the  company  usually  in  single  file  ;*  next  fol- 
lowed the  brigade  of  pack-horses  ;  and  after  them  the 
drove  of  cattle.  On  each  side,  at  the  distance  of  some 
two  hundred  yards,  marched  a  flank  guard  of  eight  or  ten 
men  of  the  company  on  horseback  ;  and  about  twenty 
soldiers  of  the  Fourth  United  States  Infantry,  who  had 
been  in  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  under  the  command 
of  Sergeant  Story,  formed  the  rear  guard.  In  the  even- 
ing they  encamped  on  the  Indian  boundary  line,  the 
frontier  of  the  settlements,  where  they  remained  over 
Sunday,  July  26th. 

On  Monday,  27th,  they  entered  the  Indian  territory; 
and  from  thence  their  march  was  through  an  uninhab- 
ited wilderness,  in  which  there  was  no  road  except  the 
trace  cut  by  General  Hull's  army,  which  was  but  the 
width  of  a  wagon-track,  and  much  cut  up  by  his  bag- 
gage-wagons and  cavalry  horses.  In  a  letter  to  his 
wife,  dated  at  Fort  McArthur,  on  the  Scioto  river — 
near  the  present  town  of  Kenton — July  29,  18 12,  Mr. 
Williams  thus  describes  the  usual  routine  of  a  day  and 
night  on.  the  march : 

"  While  we  are  waiting  a  few  minutes  to  store  part 
of  our  baggage  and  provision  in  this  fort,  to  lighten 
our  baggage- wagons  for  a  more  rapid  march,  I  seize  a 
moment  to  tell  you  that  I  am  very  well,  in  good  spirits, 
and  much  improved  in   strength  and   general    health. 


1 


Campaigns  in  IV ar  of  1812-13. 


19 


The  fatigues  and  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life  are  just 
what  I  needed.  You  would  hardly  believe  it  possible 
for  me  to  endure  what  I  daily  undergo,  in  rommon 
with  my  fellow-soldiers.  Our  food  is  coarse,  and 
cooked  in  the  roughest  manner.  For  whole  days  to- 
gether we  have  had  to  use  the  water  from  stagnant 
ponds,  or  from  the  wagon-ruts  and  horse-tracks,  in  the 
road.  We  sleep  upon  the  cold,  damp  ground,  without 
tents.  One-third  of  the  company  are  on  guard  every 
night ;  so  that  each  one  of  us,  after  a  hard  day's  march^ 
has,  every  third  night  to  mount  guard,  Rnd  stand  sentry 
four  hours,  or  half  the  night,  and  dun.  y  the  remain- 
ing four  hours  turn  out  hourly  to  receive  the  *  grand 
round,'  and  '  relief  to  the  guard.  The  whole  company 
not  on  guard  *  sleep  on  their  arms,'  with  all  their  accou- 
terments  on,  ready  for  an  attack  from  the  hostile  Indian 
tribes  occupying  the  country. 

"You  would  smile  at  our  mode  of  cooking,  could 
you  see  us  riius  employed.  Our  company  is  divided 
into  '  messes'  of  six  men  each.  Our  rations  are  deliv- 
ered together  to  each  mess  when  we  encamp  at  night. 
This  consists  of  flour,  fat  bacon,  and  salt.  The  flour  is 
kneaded  in  a  broad  iron  camp-kettle,  and  drawn  out 
in  long  rolls  the  size  of  a  man's  wrist,  and  coiled  around 
a  smooth  pole  some  three  inches  in  diameter  and  five  or 
six  feet  long,  on  which  the  dough  is  flattened  so  as  t6 
be  half  an  inch  or  more  in  thickness.  The  pole,  thus 
covered  with  dough,  except  a  few  inches  at  each  end,  is 


20 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


^1 


xi 


I; 


placed  on  two  wooden  forks  driven  into  the  ground  in 
front  of  the  camp-fire,  and  turned  frequency,  till  it  is 
baked,  when  it  is  cut  off  in  pieces,  and  the  pole  covered 
again  in  the  same  manner  and  baked.  Our  meat  is 
cooked  thus:  a  branch  of  a  tree  having  several  twigs  on 
it  is  cut,  and  the  ends  of  the  twigs  sharpened ;  the  fat 
bacon  is  cut  in  slices,  and  stuck  on  these  twigs,  leaving 
a  little  space  between  each,  and  then  held  in  the  blaze 
and  smoked  till  cooked.  Each  man  then  takes  a  piece  of 
the  pole-bread,  and  lays  thereon  a  slice  of  bacon,  and 
with  his  knife  cuts  therefrom,  and  eats  his  meal  with  a 
good  appetite.  Enough  is  thus  cooked  each  night  to 
serve  for  the  next  day;  each  man  stowing  in  his  knap- 
sack his  own  day's  provision." 

A  few  miles  north  of  Fort  Findlay,  on  Blanchard 
river — now  the  flourishing  town  of  P^indlay — the  expe- 
dition entered  the  Black  Swamp,  through  which  the  road 
passed  for  many  miles,  much  of  which  was  almost  im- 
passable. On  the  2d  of  August  they  reached  the  Mau- 
mee  river. 

Along  the  route  to  this  point,  the  expedition  contin- 
ued to  sufi^er  greatly  from  want  of  good  water,  being 
obliged  to  drink  out  of  puddles  by  the  roadside,  and 
use  pond  water  for  cooking.  For  two  weeks,  scarcely 
any  rain  had  fallen,  but  this  was  rather  favorable  for 
their  progress  than  otherwise. 

After  marching  many  days  through  dense  forests  and 
thickets,  and  wading,  much   of  the  way,  through   deep 


1 


Campaigns  in  IV ar  of  1 8 12-13. 


21 


and  extensive  swamps  and  morasses,  to  emerge  sud- 
denly therefrom  into  the  dry  open  plains  east  of  the 
Maumee  river,  was  a  transition  so  great  that  it  had  a 
most  exhilarating  effect  upon  the  feelings  of  our  weary 
and  way-worn  travelers.  A  description  of  these  plains 
and  the  Maumee  Rapids,  together  with  some  historical 
remini-'cences  of  the  localities,  are  given  by  Mr,  Wil- 
liams in  a  letter  to  his  wife,  dated, 

Encampment,  Foot  of  Maumee  Rapids,  "I 

August  3,  18 1 2.      ) 

"  The  country  we  yesterday  passed  through  is  the 
most  delightful  I  have  ever  seen.  Our  route  was,  most 
of  the  day,  over  natural  plains  of  many  miles  in  extent, 
apparently  as  level  as  the  ocean,  seemingly  bounded 
only  by  the  distant  horizon,  and  interspersed  with  a  few 
small  islets,  or  groves,  of  oak  and  hickory  timber  and 
hazel  bushes,  and  here  and  there  a  solitary  oak  tree  or 
two,  standing  out  in  the  open  expanse.  These  isolated 
trees  and  groves  contribute  much  to  the  beauty  of  the 
scenery.  But  this  is  not  all.  These  plains  are  covered 
with  a  most  luxuriant  growth  of  grass  and  herbs,  and 
an  endless  variety  of  beautiful  native  flowers,  represent- 
ing all  the  hues  of  the  rainbow,  and  loading  the  atmos- 
phere with  their  perfume.  Some  portions  are  rich  and 
dry  land ;  others  are  of  a  wet,  cold,  and   stiff  clay  soil. 

"  The  Rapids  of  the  Maumee,  I  am  told,  is  nine 
miles  in  length,  and  formed  of  a  succession  of  small 
3 


22 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


'A 


'3 


rapids,  the  principal  one  of  which  is  at  the  place  where 
the  road  crosses  the  river.     Here  the  whole  channel  is 
stratified  limestone  rock,  in    horizontal  strata,  and   di- 
vided, at  distances  of  three  or  four  feet,  by  parallel  ver- 
tical seams,  running  diagonally  across   the  whole   chan- 
nel, which  is   about   forty  rods  wide.     The  descent   of 
the  current   over   the  successive   ledges   of  rock,  form 
beautiful  little  cascades,  at  distances  of  a   few  yards  b 
tween.     The   Rapids    terminate   five    miles    below  the 
ford  ;  and  from  thence  to  the  head  of  Maumee    Bay,  a 
distance  of  some  twelve  miles,  the  river  is  from  a  quar- 
ter to  half  a. mile  or  more   in  width,  and    navigable   for 
the   largest  vessels   sailing  on   the  lakes,  which   readily 
ascend  to  the  foot  of  the  Rapids. 

"  The  plain  on  which  we  encamped  last  night,  was 
the  battle-ground  on  which  General  Anthony  Wayne 
defeated  and  totally  routed  and  dispersed  the  combined 
Indian  forces,  on  the  20th  August,  1794 — 18  years  ago. 
The  Indians  had  chosen  a  strong  position  in  the  rear  of 
the  plain^  among  fallen  timber  of  several  miles  in  ex- 
tent, in  which  their  line  of  battle  was  two  miles  long, 
fronting  on  the  plain.  General  Wayne,  after  reconnoi- 
tering  the  position  of  the  enemy,  sent  General  Scott,  at 
the  head  of  eleven  hundred  mounted  Kentuckians,  to 
turn  the  enemy's  right  flank  by  a  circuitous  route,  and 
fall  upon  their  rear.  At  eight  o'clock  on  that  memor- 
able day,  General  Wayne  advanced  his  main  columns 
along  the  bank  of  the  Maumee,  formed  in  two  lines,  in 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


n 


front  of  the  enemy's  position.  The  first  line  advanced, 
with  trailed  arms,  upon  the  foe,  concealed  behind  the 
fallen  timber ;  and  on  receiving  their  first  fire,  rushed 
upon  them  and  roused  them  from  their  fastness  among 
the  fallen  timber  and  bushes,  at  the  point  of  the  bayo- 
net ;  while  General  Scott  precipitated  his  whole  mounted 
force  upon  their  rear,  and  the  infantry  and  the  legion  of 
cavalry  pressed  forward  upon  their  front,  and  into  the 
midst  of  their  position.  The  Indian  forces  were  thus 
thrown  into  confusion,  and  in  consternation  fled  in  dis- 
order down  the  river,  hotly  pursued,  with  great  slaugh- 
ter, by  the  mounted  men  and  cavalry.  On  reaching  the 
British  Fort  Miami,  the  Indians  essayed  to  enter  the 
gates  and  take  refuge  within  its  walls.  But  the  British 
commandant.  Major  Campbei!,  through  fear  of  General 
Wayne,  prudently  closed  his  gates  against  them  ;  and 
the  Indians,  driven  to  despair,  and  now  nearly  sur- 
rounded and  closely  pressed  by  the  victorious  pursuers, 
fled  precipitately  around  the  fort,  and  down  the  hill 
upon  which  it  stood,  to  the  river.  Being  here  hemmed 
in,  many  of  them  plunged  into  the  river  to  swim  across, 
and  many  more  were  slain ;  while  the  remainder  made 
their  escape  to  the  woods.  This  decisive  battle  closed 
the  war  with  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  north-western 
frontier,  and  resulted  in  the  Treaty  of  Greenville,  in 
August,  1795. 

"  This  morning  we  moved  down  the  river  about  five 
miles,  and  encamped  on  the  upp^r  end  of  a  large  and 


24 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


beautiful  plain,  bordering  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river, 
a  few  rods  below  the  old  British  fort,  and  on  the  very 
ground  upon  which  the  great  battle  above  described  ter- 
minated.  Here,  by  order  of  General  Hull,  we  are  to 
remain  till  reinforced  by  a  company  of  volunteers  from 
Cleveland,  and  another  from  Sandusky,  both  daily  ex- 
pected to  arrive.  Near  our  encampment,  in  the  bank 
of  the  river,  is  a  large  spring  of  pure,  cold  water,  which 
is  very  refreshing  after  drinking,  as  we  very  often  did, 
from  the  puddles  in  the  road." 


While  lying  in  camp,  near  the  old  British  fort,  Mr. 
Williams  made  a  survey  of  it  with  a  pocket  compass 
and  a  grape-vine  measure.  The  fort  was  situated  on 
the  summit  of  a  hill  which  rises  abruptly  from  the  mar- 
gin of  the  river,  at  the  head  of  the  plain  above  men- 
tioned. It  was  a  quadrangle,  constructed  of  large, 
squared  logs  of  timber,  laid  closely  together  and 
notched  into  each  other.  At  the  two  most  exposed 
angles  were  strong  bastions,  enfilading  three  sides  of  the 
fort.  On  those  three  sides  the  fort  was  protected  by  a 
deep  moat,  or  ditch,  in  which  water  was  still  stand- 
ing. And  on  the  remaining  side — that  fronting  the 
river — there  had  been  a  covered  way  down  the  steep 
bank  to  the  water*  A  portion  of  the  walls  of  the  fort 
were  still  standing,  and  the  timber  composing  them  in  a 
tolerable  good  state  of  preservation. 

The  company  expected  from   Sandusky,  commanded 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-1;,. 


25 


by  Captain  Roland,  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  7th 
August.  Without  waiting  for  the  other  company  from 
the  Reserve,  of  which  nothing  had  been  heard,  the  two 
now  in  camp  were  formed  into  a  battalion,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Brush,  as  mjLjor,  and  the  march 
resumed  the  next  morning.  In  the  afternoon  of  the 
following  day — Sunday,  9th — the  battalion  reached  the 
Raisin  river,  and  encamped  upon  the  military  square, 
containing  about  an  acre  of  ground,  inclosed  by  an  old 
line  of  pickets.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  they  enjoyed 
the  luxury  of  good  tents,  which  were  furnished  to  them 
by  Colonel  Anderson,  the  military  commandant  of  the 
local  militia.  The  military  defenses  here  consisted  of 
a  single  line  of  pickets,  made  of  round  logs  about 
twelve  inches  in  diameter,  sharpened  at  top  and  set  in 
the  ground  close  together,  and  standing  seven  or  eight 
feet  above  the  surface.  At  two  diagonal  angles  were 
block-houses,  about  eighteen  feet  square  and  twelve  feet 
high,  constructed  of  round  logs.  These  block-houses 
projected  six  feet  beyond  the  pickets,  and  the  lines  of 
each  had  portholes  to  enfilade  two  sides  of  the  inclosure. 
The  pickets  were  now  so  much  decayed  that  they  formed 
a  very  poor  defense  against  musket  or  rifle  balls,  and 
none  against  cannon.  They  were  originally  intended 
only  for  the  defense  of  the  settlement  against  the  attacks 
of  hostile  Indian  tribes. 

The  settlement  on  Raisin  river  extended,  at  that  time, 
about  three  miles  along  its   banks,  on   both   sides,  near 


16 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


the  center  of  which  was  the  military  post  we  have  de- 
scribed. The  inhabitants  were  almost  exclusively  the 
descendants  of  the  original  French  emigrants  from  Can- 
ada, and  spoke  only  the  French  language.  The  settle- 
ment was  formed  at  an  early  period  in  the  last  century  ; 
perhaps,  indeed,  but  a  few  years  after  that  of  Detroit, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  in  the  same  year — 1682 — in 
which  William  Penn  laid  out  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 
Each  family  owned  and  cultivated  a  tract  of  land  front- 
ing on  the  river,  having  a  few  rods  in  width,  and  ex- 
tending back  from  two  to  five  miles ;  the  side  lines  be- 
tween the  farms  being  all  parallel  to  each  other,  and  all 
the  houses  built  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  In  the  midst 
of  this  settlement,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  and 
including  the  old  stockade,  stands  now  the  flourishing 
city  of  Monroe,  a  prominent  commercial  port  of  Lake 
Erie,  and  havmg  a  railroad  connecting  it  with  the  Far 
West. 

General  Hull,  about  the  first  of  August,  hcd  aban- 
doned the  invasion  of  Canada,  withdrawn  his  troops 
therefrom,  and,  recrossing  the  strait,  the  North- West- 
ern Army  now  occupied  the  fortress  of  Detroit.  In 
the  mean  time  General  Brock  posted  a  strong  British 
and  Indian  force  at  a  place  called  Brownstown,  on  our 
side  of  the  strait,  and  on  the  only  road  from  Detroit 
to  Ohio,  and  equidistant  between  Detroit  and  Paisin 
river.  And  when  Major  Brush  and  his  battalion  ar- 
rived at  that  river,  all  communication  with  Detroit  had 


,1 


Campaigns  in  IV ar  of  1 8 12-13. 


27 


been  cut  off  by  the  enemy.  Charged,  as  he  was,  with 
the  protection  of  the  brigade  of  pack-horses  and  the  large 
drove  of  beef  cattle,  it  would  have  been  madness  to  at- 
tempt, with  his  small  command,  to  force  his  way  to 
Detroit.  Indeed,  while  encamped  on  the  Maumee,  he 
had  received  orders  .rom  General  Hull  to  remain  at  the 
Raisin  river  till  a  reinforcement  from  Detroit  should 
join  him  there.  Two  detachments  from  the  army  at 
Detroit  had  been  successively  sent,  for  this  purpose,  by 
General  Hull.  The  first,  under  the  command  of  Major 
Vanhorne,  was  met  by  the  combined  British  and  Indian 
force  at  Maguaga,  an  old  Indian  village  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  Detroit  river,  and  a  battle  ensued,  in 
which  Vanhorne's  detachment,  after  a  sanguinary  en- 
gagement, was  overpowered  by  a  greatly  superior  force, 
and  compelled  to  make  a  precipitate  retreat  and  return 
to  Detroit. 

An  incident  is  related  of  the  late  Governor  Lucas,  of 
Ohio,  in  this  battle,  which  is  worthy  of  being  preserved. 
A  Mr.  Stockton,  from  near  Chillicothe,  was  one  of  the 
mounted  men.  Late  in  the  engagement  his  horse  was 
badly  wounded  in  the  head  by  a  ball  ;  and  the  horse  be- 
coming frantic  with  pain  and  fright  dashed  forward  in 
the  retreat,  throwing  his  head  about  and  covering  Mr. 
Stockton  with  blood,  till  the  rider  was  thrown  off  and 
much  stunned  in  the  fall.  On  rising,  he  was  unable  to 
run  and  uncertain  which  way  to  proceed.  Having  no 
means  of  escape — his  company  having  passed  on  with- 


28 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush.  " 


out  seeing  him — inevitable  destruction  seemed  to  await 
him.  At  that  moir.ent  General  Lucas* — who,  with  a 
few  brave  mounted  men,  covered  the  retreat  and  kept 
the  enemy  in  check — discovered  Mr.  Stockton,  and  see- 
ing him  covered  with  blood,  supposed  him  to  be  badly 
wounded.  Without  hesitation  he  instantly  dismounted 
and  helped  Mr.  Stockton  into  his  own  saddle,  and  point- 
ing the  way,  told  him  to  make  his  escape  as  fust  as  his 
horse  could  carry  him.  This  momentary  delay  left 
General  Lucas  the  very  last  man  on  the  retreat,  and 
now  on  foot,  with  the  pursuing  enemy  in  close  proxim- 
ity, and  himself  exposed  to  the  deadly  fire  of  the  Indian 
rifles.  But  he  being  tall,  slender,  and  very  active,  out- 
ran his  nimble-footed  pursuers,  and  providentially — in- 
deed, almost  miraculously — escaped  the  shower  of  bul- 
lets, from  the  Indian  rifles,  aimed  at  him.  Thus,  at 
the  most  imminent  hazard  of  his  own  life,  he  saved  that 
of  a  fellow-soldier,  an  entire  stranger  to  him. 


\ 


*General  Lucas  was  at  the  time  a  Brigadier  General  of  militia,  near 
Portsmouth,  O.,  but  joined  Hull's  army  as  a  private  volunteer,  and  had, 
on  the  march  to  Detroit,  received  from  President  Madison  a  commis- 
sion of  Captain  in  the  United  States  service. 

He  was  afterward  "governor  of  the  state  of  Ohio  several  terms. 
Subsequently,  when  the  new  territory  of  Iowa  was  created  by  Con- 
gress, he  was  appointed  its  first  Governor,  which  office  he  held  several 
years.  After  his  retirement  from  office,  he  continued  to  reside  in  Iowa 
till  his  death.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
from  hisearly  life,  and  died  peacefully  at  a  good  old  age. 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1 8 12-13. 


29 


't 


The  other  detachment  sent  to  reinforce  Major  Brush, 
consisted  of  about  nine  hundred  men,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Miller  of  the  United  States  army. 
At  Brownstown,  a  mile  or  two  south  of  Maguaga,  he 
encountered  the  enemy's  forces,  and  a  severe  battle  en- 
sued, in  which  Colonel  Miller  was  victorious,  and 
drove  the  enemy  from  the  field  with  great  loss.  But 
his  own  force  was  so  much  crippled  and  his  men  so 
fatigued,  that  he  also  found  it  necessary  to  return  to 
Detroit  from  the  field  of  battle.  This  engagement  oc- 
curred on  the  8th  of  August.  Soon  after  Colonel 
Miller's  regiment  returned  to  Detroit,  General  Hull 
ordered  out  a  third  detachment  to  the  relief  of  Major 
Brush,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  McAthur,* 
with  orders  to  take  a  circuitous  route  through  the  track- 
less wilderness ;  and  by  crossing  the  Huron  river  sev- 
eral miles  higher  up,  avoid  a  collision  with  the  enemy^ 
and  reach  Major  Brush's  position  on  the  Raisin. 

While  these  abortive  eflForts  to  relieve  Major  Brush 
were  being  made,  his  little  battalion,  numbering  only 
some  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  were  in  a  position  of 
great  peril.  The  road  and  the  whole  territory  between 
them  and  the  American  army,  was  occupied  by  a  large 
force  of  the  enemy,  within  four  hours'  march  of  their 
encampment.     They  were,  therefore,  in  hourly  expecta- 


*Afterward  a  Brigadier  General   in  the   United  States   service,  and 
subsequently  Governor  of  Ohio. 

4 


1 '  ?-  ^ 


I' 


!0 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


tion  of  an  attack  from  the  enemy,  who  might  at  any 
time  have  overpowered  them  by  a  force  five  or  ten  times 
their  number,  and  massacred  them  all,  as  ^as  the  unfor- 
tunate Kentucky  brigade,  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral Winchester,  at  the  same  place  the  following  winter, 
after  being  taken  prisoners  and  disarmed. 

In  a  letter  to  Governor  Tiffin,*  dated  August  nth, 
after  noting  the  battle  of  Brownstown,  three  days  pre- 
vious, Mr.  Williams  adds: 

"It  is  certain  that  our  affairs  on  this  frontier  wear  a 
very  serious  and  gloomy  aspect.  All  communication 
between  us  and  Detroit  has  been  for  several  days  wholly 
cut  off  by  the  enemy.  The  express  mail,  which,  till 
lately,  always  succeeded  in  getting  throngh,  has  entirely 
failed.  We  are,  therefore,  without  any  advices  from 
Detroit  and  the  army,  and  know  nothing  of  its  move- 
ments, nor  whether,  nor  when  relief  will  reach  us.  We 
are  at  a  loss  what  to  think  of  these  things.  Our  posi- 
tion is  a  most  perilous  one.  We  are  liable  at  any  time 
to  be  overwhelmed  by  the  vastly  superior  force  of  the 
enemy.  The  French  settlers  along  this  river  are  greatly 
alarmed,  and  seem  confident  that  our  garrison  and  the 
settlements  will  be  in  the  enemy's  possession  before  re- 
inforcements can  reach  us." 


*  Then    Commissioner  of   the    General    Land-Office,  Washington 

City. 

» 

■■ 

Campaigns  in  War  of  1 8 12-13. 


31 


says  :  "  I  went,  to-day,  with  Cadwallader  Wallace  and 
some  others,  to  see  Lake  (Erie)  distant  about  four 
miles  east  of  our  encampment,  and  to  bathe  in  its  lim- 
pid waters.  The  view  of  the  placid  surface  of  this  in- 
land sea  was  most  enchanting  to  me — having  now,  for 
the  first  time  in  my  life,  looked  upon  a  sheet  of  water 
exceeding  half  a  mile  wide.  Here,  with  the  exception 
of  one  or  two  small  islands,  scarcely  perceptable  in  the 
distance,  there  is  nothing  to  be  seen  but  a  wide  expanse 
of  waters,  bounded  seemingly  by  the  horizon.  We  en- 
joyed much  the  refreshing  bath  in  the  cool  waters  of 
the  lake,  and  battling  its  gentle  rolling  waves.  It  was, 
indeed,  a  great  luxury  in  a  hot  summer's  day.  But  our 
sport  was  soon  spoiled  by  the  arrival  of  a  courier  on 
horseback  from  camp,  with  orders  for  our  immediate  re- 
turn, as  the  enemy  was  reported  to  be  but  a  few  miles 
distant,  marching  to  attack  us.  Thinking  to  take  the 
nearest  course  to  camp  across  a  large,  level  prairie,  nearly 
on  a  level  with  the  lake,  we  had  to  wade  through  three 
bad  marshes,  up  to  our  breasts  in  mud  and  water.  The 
alarm  was  a  false  one." 

The  last  of  his  series  of  letters  to  his  wife,  is  dated 
Friday,  August  14th,  in  which  is  the  following  para- 
graph. 

"All  thought  of  being  able  to  proceed  to  Detrrit  is 
now  abandoned  ;  and  our  attention  is  turned  exclusively 
to  fortifying  our  position,  and  putting  it  in  the  best 
state  of  defense  we  can.     If  the  enemy  should  bring 


br 


11 


j2 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


W.. 


I  B        ^ 


their  field  artillery  to  the  attack — which,  if  they  come, 
they  will  surely  do — our  rotten  stockade  will  be  battered 
to  the  ground  in  ten  minutes.  What  our  fate  will  be 
I  can  not  tell.  But  if  we  fall,  we  shall  sell  our  lives  as 
dearly  as  we  can.  We  have  lost  all  confidence  in  Gen- 
eral Hull.  In  any  event  we  can  not  remain  here  longer 
than  this  week,  or  the  middle  of  the  next." 

Two  days  after  the  last-named  date,  namely  on  Sun- 
day, August  1 6th,  having  the  previous  night  crossed 
the  Detroit  river,  two  miles  below  the  town.  General 
Brock,  at  the  head  of  the  British  army,  marched  to  the 
attack  of  Fort  Detroit.  He  advanced  his  force  directly 
in  front  of  the  main  battery  of  the  fortress,  and  had  but 
just  displayed  his  columns  in  line  of  battle,  when  a  white 
flag  was  run  up  on  the  flag-staff  of  the  fort — a  signal  of 
surrender!  Sufiice  it  to  say,  that  in  a  short  time  articles 
of  capitulation  were  drawn  up  and  signed.  Thus  the 
gallant  North-Western  Army,  occupying  a  strong  for- 
tification, having  a  fine  battery  of  twenty-five  large  guns, 
and  a  full  supply  of  amunition,  was  surrendered  pris- 
oners of  war  to  a  force  inferior  both  in  numbers  and 
efficiency,  and  composed  mostly  of  Canadian  local 
militia  and  Indians. 

By  a  supplemental  article  General  Hull  surrendered 
Major  Brush's  battalion  as  prisoners  likewise.  This, 
however,  was  well,  as  otherwise  they  would  have  sur- 
rendered only  on  being  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  and 
at  the  expense  of  much  blo'^d,  and  the  loss  of  many 


T 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


^2 


lives.  On  Monday,  17th,  the  day  after  the  capitula- 
tion, Captain  Elliott,  of  the  British  service,  arrived 
from  Detroit,  bearing  a  flag  of  truce,  and  delivered  to 
Major  Brush  an  authenticated  copy  of  the  articles  of 
capitulation,  with  letters  to  him  from  General  Hull  and 
Colonel  M'Arthur,  confirming  the  fact  of  the  surren- 
der, and  also  an  order  from  General  Brock  requiring 
Major  Brush  and  his  battalion  to  march  to  Fort  Mai- 
den, on  the  Canada  side  of  the  Detroit  river,  as  pris- 
oners of  war.  The  surrender  of  Detroit  and  the  whole 
army  was  an  event  so  unlooked  for,  so  extraordinary, 
so  astonishing,  that  the  papers  were  regarded  as  forge- 
ries and  Captain  Elliott  as  a  spy ;  and  he  was  immedi- 
ately placed  in  confinement  under  guard  as  a  spy.  In 
the  afternoon,  however,  three  or  four  of  the  well-known 
Ohio  volunteers  from  Detroit,  who  were  absent  from 
the  fort  when  it  surrendered,  made  their  escape  and  ar- 
rived at  Major  Brush's  encampment,  fully  confirming 
the  sad  news.  A  council  of  war  was  held  in  the  even- 
ing, and  it  was  unanimously  resolved  that  the  battalion 
should  disregard  the  treaty  and  make  their  way  back  to 
Ohio.  Accordingly  every  preparation  was  made,  except 
that  of  cooking  food,  for  which  there  was  no  time;  and 
about  ten  o'clock  that  night — Captain  Elliott  being 
first  liberated — the  men  took  up  their  march  homeward. 
The  night  was  cloudy  and  dark,  and  in  the  dense  for- 
est the  narrow  road  could  only  be  kept  by  traveling  in 
the  mud  worked  up  in  it. 


s 


34 


Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush. 


Early  the  next  morning  they  had  reached  the  foot  of 
the  Maumee  Rapids,  thirty-four  miles.  Here  the  few 
inhabitants  furnished  them  a  scanty  breakfast  of  what- 
ever could  be  gathered  up,  and  the  march  was  resumed. 
After  crossing  the  river,  Captain  Rowland's  Company 
took  the  Sandusky  road,  and  Captain  Brush's  that  to 
Urbana.  The  march  was  continued  all  day  and  till 
about  midnight ;  when,  getting  into  the  Black  Swamp, 
where  it  was  all  mud,  it  was  found  impossible  to  distin- 
guish where  the  road  lay.  A  halt  was  called,  and  every 
man  sought  for  himself  a  dry  place  at  the  root  of  some 
tree,  where  he  sat  on  his  knapsack  and,  leaning  against 
the  tree,  slept  till  dawn  the  next  morning,  when  the 
march  was  continued.  A  courier  was  sent  ahead  on 
horseback  to  Fort  Findlay,  on  the .  Blanchard's  fork, 
where,  on  the  arrival  of  the  company,  about  noon,  they 
enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  good  and  plentiful  meal  of 
bread  and  jerked  beef,  hastily  prepared  for  them  by  the 
sergeant's  guard  stationed  at  that  post. 

To  this  point  the  company  was  pursued  by  Brigadier 
General  Tecumseh,  the  noted  Shawnee  chief,  at  the  head 
of  three  hundred  mounted  Indians,  sent  by  General 
Brock  to  capture  and  bring  back  the  escaped  prisoners. 
But  finding  by  the  "sign" — the  footprints  of  the  re- 
treat— that  they  were  several  hours  in  advance  of  them, 
and  would  reach  the  settlements  before  they  could  be 
overtaken,  the  pursuit  was  abandoned,  and  Tecumseh 
and  his  brigade  returned. 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


35 


The  march  was  continued  from  Fort  Findlay  imme- 
diately after  taking  their  meal,  and  late  that  night  the 
company  reached  Fort  M'Arthur,  on  the  Scioto  river. 
The  next  morning  they  made  a  very  early  start  through 
a  heavy  rain,  which  continued  the  whole  day,  and  in  the 
evening  arrived  at  "Manary's  Block-House,"  on  the 
Indian  boundary,  under  the  command  of  General 
Manary.  Here  every  possible  kindness  was  shown  to 
the  fugitives  by  the  General  and  his  men.  Fires  were 
made  in  all  the  huts,  and  their  wet  clothing  dried  ;  and 
the  rangers  gave  up  their  "  bunks"  or  berths  for  the  re- 
pose of  their  visitors. 

Here  the  company  entered  the  settlements,  and  be- 
ing no  longer  in  danger  of  pursuit,  they  continued  their 
march  more  leisurely.  At  Urbana  they  separated  into 
small  parties,  for  greater  ease  in  traveling,  and  generally 
reached  their  homes  at  Chillicothe  on  Monday,  August 
23d,  after  an  absence  of  five  weeks,  without  the  loss  of 
a  man. 

Although  the  company  thus  escaped  from  the  enemy, 
after  being  surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war,  yet  our 
Government  recognized  them  as  prisoners ;  and  they 
were  a  few  months  afterward,  regularly  "  exchanged," 
and  were  ordered  by  Governor  Meigs  to  be  credited  for 
a  full  tour  of  duty. 


2. 


Expedition  of  Governor   Meigs  for  the 
Relief  of  Fort  Meigs,  1 8  1 3. 


IN  the  narrative  of  the  expedition  of  Captain  Brush's 
company  of  Chillicothe  volunteers,  in  the  summer 
of  1 8 12,  we  noticed  briefly  the  disastrous  termination 
of  the  first  campaign  of  the  North-Western  Army  in 
that  year. 

Soon  after  the  fall  of  Detroit,  and  the  occupancy  of 
Michigan  and  the  Indian  territory  by  the  enemy,  Pres- 
ident Madison  appointed  William  Henry  Harrison,  of 
North  Bend,  C,  a  Brigadier  General  in  the  United 
States  service,  and  Commander  in  chief  of  the  North- 
Western  Army.  As  the  Government  had  now  no  dis- 
posable regular  troops  in  the  West,  General  Harrison 
was  left  to  reorganize  the  North-Western  Army  from 
the  militia  and  volunteer  forces  of  Ohio  and  Ken- 
tucky, aided  by  some  volunteer  companies  from  Penn- 
sylvania and  Virginia.  No  time  was  lost  by  the  Gen- 
eral in  collecting  his  forces,  and  posting  them  at  the 
various  exposed  points  on  the  frontier  and  in  the  Indian 
territory  beyond  it.  As  soon  as  practicable,  he  ad- 
vanced a  well-appointed  and  disciplined  volunteer  force 
to  the  foot  of  the  rapids  of  the  Maumee  river,  where, 
5 


38 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


in  the  following  winter,  Fort  Meigs  was  built.  This 
was  nothing  more  than  a  line  of  pickets,  with  a  ditch 
and  a  high  embankment  of  earth  thrown  up  around  his 
encampment,  with  round  log  block-houses  at  the  salient 
angles.  Fort  Meigs  was  an  important  pose,  and  it 
contributed  mainly  to  the  defense  of  an  extended  line 
of  frontier  settlements.  Small  troops  of  mounted 
rangers,  and  scouts  on  foot,  sent  out  from  the  Fort, 
scoured  the  wilderness,  and  kept  in  abeyance  the  bands 
of  marauding  savages,  whose  known  mode  of  warfare 
was  the  indiscriminate  murder  and  plundering  of  the 
defenseless  inhabitants  of  the  frontier. 

The  importance  of  Fort  Meigs  for  the  protection  of 
the  frontier,  and  in  facilitating  the  operations  of  the 
American  army  in  its  rear,  then  preparing  for  hostili- 
ties, was  well  understood  by  General  Brock,  the  able 
commander  in  chief  of  the  British  forces  on  the  De- 
troit river,  and  he  determined  on  its  capture  or  destruc- 
tion. Accordingly,  in  the  latter  end  of  April,  1813, 
he  sent  General  Proctor,  at  the  head  of  a  strong  detach- 
ment frrm  the  British  army,  with  three  thousand  In- 
dians, I  .<  cake  this  fort.  After  a  siege  of  about  ten  days, 
during  which  time  a  continual  cannonade  was  kept  up 
from  his  batteries.  General  Proctor  abandoned  the  siege, 
with  great  loss.  Again,  early  in  July  following,  Fort 
Meigs  was  closely  invested  by  another  large  British  and 
Indian  force,  under  the  command  of  Generals  Proctor 
and  Tecumseh,  well  provided  with  artillery  and  all  the 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1 8 12-13. 


J9 


necessary  armament  for  a  vigorous  siege.  General 
Harrison  was  not  in  command  of  the  Fort  at  this  time. 
Its  force  was  numerically  vastly  inferior  to  that  of  the 
besiegers ;  and,  moreover,  the  stock  of  provisions  was 
insufficient  for  a  protracted  siege.  General  Harrison, 
then  at  Lower  Sandusky,  immediately  dispatched  a  cou- 
rier to  Governor  Meigs,  with  a  requisition  for  a  large 
reinforcement  of  militia,  to  aid  him  in  compelling  the 
enemy  to  raise  the  siege.  Meantime  General  Proctor 
planted  his  batteries,  and  kept  up  a  cannonade  on  the 
Fort.  Several  spirited  sorties,  however,  were  made 
from  the  Fort,  in  one  of  which  the  enemy's  cannon 
were  taken  and  spiked. 

With  his  characteristic  promptitude.  Governor  Meigs 
on  receiving  General  Harrison's  requisition,  at  once 
called  out,  en  masse^  the  two  entire  divisions  of  militia 
nearest  that  part  of  the  frontier,  with  orderi^  to  march 
immediately  to  the  relief  of  Fort  Meigs.  The  order 
was  obeyed  with  equal  promptness ;  and  in  a  very  few 
days  the  two  entire  divisions,  without  tents,  but  well 
armed  and  provisioned,  were  on  their  march  for  Upper 
Sandusky,  where  the  whole  force  was  to  rendezvous  on 
a  given  day,  to  be  there  organized  for  a  rapid  march  to 
Fort  Meigs. 

This  expedition,  which  lasted  about  six  weeks,  was 
not  distinguished  for  any 


40 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


"  Most  disastrous  chances. 
For  moving  accidents  by  flood  and  field. 
Or  hair-breadth  'scapes." 

Ii  never  met  the  '*  insolent  foe"  which  it  set  out  to  en- 
counter. General  Proctor,  learning  that  ten  thousand 
hardy  "  Buckeyes"  were  marching  upon  him,  suddenly 
broke  up  his  camp,  and  fled  precipitately  back  to  Can- 
ada. This  news  reached  Governor  Meigs — who  com- 
manded the  expedition  in  person — at  Delaware,  by  dis- 
patches from  General  Harrison.  The  Governor^  how- 
ever, continued  the  march  ;  and  on  the  day  of  the  gen- 
eral rendezvous  reviewed  his  ten  thousand  citizen  sol- 
diers, drawn  up  in  line  upon  the  beautiful  plains  of 
Upper  Sandusky.  The  further  advance  of  this  formid- 
able force — greatly  to  the  disappointment  of  all — was 
now  arrested,  and  their  high  hopes  of  military  glory  cut 
off  at  a  stroke.  The  Governor,  too,  may  have  had  his 
dreams  of  deathless  renown  and  blooming  laurels  about 
to  be  won  upon  the  ensanguined  plains  of  the  Maumee. 
But  now  the  renown  has  vanquished,  like  "  the  base- 
less fabric  of  a  vision  :  "  the  laurels  are  suddenly  pluck- 
ed from  his  brow.  Sic  transit  gloria  mundi !  We  were 
forcibly  reminded  of  the  memorable  exploit  of  a  royal 
chieftain  of  the  olden  time,  which  is  so  graphically  re- 
corded by  the  historian,  in  heroic  verse ! 


"  The  King  of  France,  with  forty  thousand  men. 
Marched  up  the  hill,  and  then — marched  down  again.' 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


41 


The  only  history  of  this  expedition,  so  far  as  the 
writer  knows,  is  that  which  is  contained  in  his  own  let- 
ters, written  home  almost  daily,  and  preserved  by  him 
for  his  family.  From  his  narrative,  thus  written,  such 
portions  are  selected  as  will  be  the  most  likely  to  inter- 
est the  reader.  Mr.  Williams  was  at  the  time  Clerk 
of  the  Chillicothe  Regiment — a  military  officer  then  in 
existence,  in  the  regimental  staff  of  the  Ohio  Militia, 
with  the  rank  of  lieutenant. 

Instead  of  the  privations  and  hardships  which  he  en- 
dured in  the  campaign  of  the  previous  year,  Mr.  Wil- 
liams had  now  every  thing  that  could  contribute  to  his 
comfort  and  ease.  As  a  regimental  staff  officer,  he  was 
well  mounted,  and  was  entitled  to,  and  received  trans- 
portation for  his  baggage-trunk,  forage  for  his  horse, 
two  daily  rations  of  provisions  ;  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Colonel's  *'  iness/'  and  quartered  in  his  large  mar- 
quee ;  and,  withal,  was  exempt  from  all  military  and 
camp  duty.  His  office  was  to  prepare  and  record  the 
regimental  orders  issued  by  the  Colonel,  and  to  record 
and  file  all  brigade  and  general  orders  received  by  the 
Colonel  from  his  superior  officers. 

The  several  regiments  of  the  two  divisions  were  all 
on  the  march  between  the  25th  and  30th  of  July.  Col- 
onel Ferguson's  Chillicothe  regiment  marched  on  the 
29th.  The  next  evening  Mr.  Williams  writes  :  '*  Last 
night  we  encamped  seven  miles  below  Pickaway  plains. 
To-night  we  are  seventeen   miles   south   of  Franklin- 


'I 


42 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


W: 


ton.  Major  Dawson's  battalion,  from  Adelphi,  joined 
us  at  Circleville,  and  makes  our  regiment  about  six 
hundred  men." 

While  the  men  were  taking  their  lunch,  about  noon 
of  the  first  day's  march,  the  Colonel  issued  an  order 
that  no  fruit,  vegetables,  or  other  produce  of  the  coun- 
try, should  be  taken,  otherwise  than  by  purchase  or 
permission  of  the  owner.  After  the  regiment  had 
bivoucked  for  the  first  night,  one  of  the  men,  in  direct 
violation  of  the  above  order,  took,  without  leave,  from 
an  adjoining  cornfield,  an  armful  of  "r--"  ting-ears." 
Information  of  the  theft  was  promptly  given,  through 
his  Captain,  to  the  Colonel,  by  whose  order  the  man 
was  immediately  arrested  and  placed  under  guard.  After 
supper  the  Colonel  convened  a  court-martial  at  his  mar- 
quee for  the  trial  of  the  culprit,  and  appointed  William 
Key  Bond,  a  young  man,  a  private  in  one  of  the  Chil- 
licothe  companies.  Judge  Advocate.  Mr.  Bond  had, 
but  a  short  time  previous,  emigrated  from  Virginia, 
where  he  had  studied  law,  but  had  not  yet  comm  =*nced 
the  practice.  The  culprit  was  arraigned  beL- -  the 
court,  and  Mr.  Bond  examined  the  witnesses  anc  co^ 
ducted  the  prosecution  with  much  ability;  and  his  clos 
ing  address  to  the  court  was  a  fine  effort,  and  eloquently 
delivered. 

This  was  Colonel  Bond's  first  appearance  at  "the 
bar."  Soon  after  his  return  from  this  tour,  he  com- 
menced  practice  as  an  attorney  and  counsek ;  at    law 


A 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


43 


in  Chillicothe  and  adjacent  counties,  and  soon  rose  to 
the  front  rank  of  the  profession.  He  represented  that 
district  several  years  in  the  Congr-^ss  of  the  United 
States,  in  which  he  was  a  prominent  and  distinguished 
member.  Many  years  sincC;  he  removed  to  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  continued  the  practice  of  law;  was  m 
the  United  States  Revenue  service  four  years  as  Sur- 
veyor of  the  port  of  Cincinnati;  and  has  lately,  we 
believe,  resumed  the  practice  of  law  in  that  city.* 

The  reader  will  please  pardon  this  digression.  The 
court-martial  found  the  prisoner  guilty,  and  sentenced 
him  to  be  drummed  out  of  camp  and  dismissed  the 
service.  This  sentence  was  carried  into  execution  the 
next  morning,  when  the  regiment  was  drawn  up  in  line 
to  resume  the  march.  The  culprit  wa?  marched  along 
in  front  of  the  whole  line,  followed  by  all  the  drums 
of  the  regiment,  beating  the  "Rogue's  March"  played 
by  the  fifes,  and  was  then  dismissed  the  service  in  dis- 
grace. This  was  the  only  case  of  disobedience  of  the 
Colonel's  order  which  occurred  during  the  campaign. 

Two  days  after  the    occurrence    above    noted,    Mr. 

Williams  writes : 

Franklinton,  July  21,  18 1.3. 
"We  reached  this  place  about  six  o'clock  this  even- 
ing.    The  Governor  and  suite  met  and    escorted  our 


*Mr.   Bond  was  born  in  St.  Marys  County,  Maryland,  October  2, 
179Z,  and  died  at  Cincinnati,  February  17,  1864. 


1 : 1 


m 


':i 


44 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


regiment  into  and  through  town,  and  then  reviewed  it, 
expressing  himself  highly  pleased  with  its  martial  ap- 
pearance. In  the  evening  he  visited  us  at  our  marquee, 
and  engaged  to  breakfast  with  us  to-morrow  morning. 
General  Ma.  ary's  brigade  —  twelve  hundred  and  fifty 
strong — arrived  here  this  morning,  and  is  encamped 
near  us.  Several  regiments  have  already  gone  on  to 
Sandusky.  General  Lucas,  with  the  remainder  of  our 
brigade,  from  Portsmouth,  will  join  us  to-morrow. 
•"'  spatches  have  just  arrived  to  the  Governor  from 
General  Harrison,  who  is  still  at  Seneca,  nine  miles 
above  Lower  Sandusky,  awaiting  our  arrival.  The 
enemy  is  still  before  Fort  Meigs,  intrenching  them- 
selves."* 


^'The  subsequent  movements  of  Gov.  Meigs  were  probably  quick- 
ened by  the  following  dispatch  from  General  Harrison : 

"  Head  Quarters,  Seneca  Town, 

zd  August  1813. 
'«  Dear  Sir : 

The  enemy  have  been,  since  last  evening,  before  Lower 
Sandusky,  and  are  battering  it  with  all  their  might.     Come,  on  my  friend,* 
as  quickly  as  possible,  that  we  may  relieve   the  brave  fellows  who   are 
defending  it.     I  had  ordered  it  to  be  abandoned.     The  order  was  not 
obeyed. 

I  know  it  will  be  defended  to  the  last  extremity  ;  for 
earth  does  not  hold  a  set  of  finer  fellows  than  Crogan  and  his  ofiicers. 
I  shall  expect  you  to-morrow  certainly. 

Yours  etc, 
Gov.   Meigs.  Wm.  H.  Harrison." 


I 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1 8 12-13. 


45 


At  the  date  of  this  letter,  it  v/ill  be  remembered, 
Columbus,  the  present  seat  of  Government  of  the 
State,  had  not  been  laid  out.  The  ground  now  occu- 
pied by  that  flourishing  city  was  then  covered  with 
cornfield  and  dense  forest.  Franklinton  was  then  a 
place  of  considerable  note.  Now  it  is  withering  in 
the  shadow  of  its  great  rival  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  river. 

At  Delaware  the  Governor  received  the  intelligence 
that  the  enemy  had  abandoned  the  seige  of  Fort  Meigs, 
and  retreated  to  Canada,  intimidated,  no  doubt,  by  the 
approach  of  the  overwhelming  force  then  on  the  march 
against  them. 

Delaware  was  at  this  time  a  very  small  village.  The 
only  public  house  in  it  was  kept  by  Major  Byxbe,  near 
the  center  of  the  town,  in  a  small  brick  house,  very 
poorly  fitted  up,  and  which,  we  were  lately  informed, 
has  recently  been  puP'^'d  down.  The  large  and  cele- 
brated sulphur  spring  here  was  then  in  its  original  state 
of  nature.  Across  the  morass  lying  between  it  and 
Byxbe's  tavern  the  Major  had  constructed  a  foot- 
bridge, consisting  of  a  single  line  of  slabs  set  end  to 
end,  and  standing  on  wooden  legs  driven  into  auger- 
holes,  and  having  a  rough  hand-rail  at  one  side.  The 
beautiful  grounds  around  and  southwest  of  the  spring, 
now  occupied  by  that  young  but  noble  and  flourishing 
institution,  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  were 
then  an  unbroken  forest.     Delaware  itself,  from  being 


46 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


■a, 


;?■ 


^lili 


an  obscure  and  insignificant  little  frontier  village,  has, 
by  the  location  there  of  the  University,  and  by  the 
building  of  railroads  through  it,  become  a  large,  popu- 
lous, and  flourishing  town. 

The  whole  force  of  the  two  divisions  ordered  out 
having  arrived  at  Upper  Sandusky,  they  were  all  drawn 
out  for  muster  and  review  upon  the  adjoining  delight- 
ful plains,  covered  with  grass  and  flowers,  and  were 
reviewed  by  the  Governor.  The  display  was  quite  an 
imposing  one.  The  sight  of  ten  thousand  men  under 
arms,  drawn  up  in  line,  had  never  before  been  wit- 
nessed upon  these  plains. 

The  siege  of  Fort  Meigs  having  been  raised,  the 
further  advance  of  this  force  became  unnecessary.  But, 
as  General  Harrison  expected  to  sail  in  a  few  days  for 
the  Detroit  river,  with  all  the  force  under  his  command, 
to  meet  the  enemy,  it  was  judged  indispensable  that  a 
part  of  Governor  Meigs'  militia  should  remain  at 
Upper  Sandusky  for  the  defense  of  the  exposed  fron- 
tier. For  this  purpose  the  Governor  selected  two 
brigades,  of  one  thousand  men  each,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Generals  Lucas  and  Manary,  and  discharged 
the  remainder,  who  immediately  returned  to  the.ir 
homes.  The  two  brigades  took  a  position  about  a 
mile  north  of  Upper  Sandusky,  on  a  high  point  of 
land,  having  the  Sandusky  river,  with  a  high  bluff 
bank,  on  the  east  side,  and  a  deep  ravine  on  the  north 
and  west  side,  while  the  south  side  was  protected  by  a 


Campaigns  in  War  of  i8 12-13. 


47 


'I 


deep  ditch  and  an  embankment  inside.  The  encamp- 
ment embraced  eight  or  ten  acres,  around  which  was 
soon  constructed  a  strong  abatis^  which  consisted  of 
piles  of  trees,  or  large  branches,  sharpened  and  laid 
with  their  points  outward,  and  presenting  a  formidable 
barrier  to  the  entrance  of  a  hostile  force  into  the  camp. 
Block-houses  were  built  at  each  angle.  To  construct 
these  several  works  a  hundred  or  more  men  were  de- 
tailed daily.  Governor  Meigs  remained  in  command, 
and  personally  directed  and  superintended  the  works. 
He  was  vigilant;  always  on  the  alert,  to  see  that  every- 
thing went  on  right,  and  that  the  orders  issued  were 
well  and  promptly  executed. 

In  this  connection,  it  may  be  as  well  to  give  the 
reader  a  description  of  a  day  in  the  "Grand  Camp  of 
Ohio  Militia,"  as  it  was  called;  and  the  duties  and 
employments  of  one  day  were,  with  but  little  varia- 
tion, the  same  on  every  day. 

At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  discharge  from  a 
nine-pounder  gun  and  beating  the  reveille  was  the  signal 
to  "turn  out."  In  several  of  the  tents  "family  wor- 
ship" was  now  attended  to  by  singing  and  prayer. 
Twenty  minutes  after  reveille  beat,  all  the  troops  not 
on  guard  were,  at  the  beat  of  the  drum,  paraded  and 
drilled  an  hour.  Bet\yeen  six  and  seven  o'clock  break- 
fast was  had.  At  eight  o'clock  the  guards — who  had 
been  on  duty  from  the  same  hour  of  the  previous  day — 
were  relieved  by  the  new  guard  for  the  day.     The  guard 


48 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


tf  a 


consisted  of  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  men,  divided 
into  three  "reliefs"  of  fifty  each,  one  of  which  "re- 
liefs" was  always  on  guard,  and,  at  the  end  of  two 
hours,  was  relieved  bv  the  next.  A  few  of  these  were 
posted  at  the  Governor's  and  field  oflicers'  quarters  as 
"ofiicers*  guard;"  the  larger  number  were  stationed 
around  the  encampment,  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred 
yards  or  more,  as  "camp  guard;"  and  the  remainder 
were  posted  at  different  points,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
or  more  from  camp,  as  "picket  guard,"  to  give  early 
notice  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy.  At  the  same 
hour — eight  o'clock — the  different  "parties"  for  the 
day  were  called  out — such  as  "fatigue  parties,"  to  build 
blockhouses,  storehouse,  hospital,  dig  intrenchments, 
fortify  the  encampment,  etc.;  "grass  parties,"  to  mow 
on  the  plains,  and  bring  in  grass  for  the  field  officers' 
and  cavalry  horses;  "police  parties,"  for  sweeping  the 
encampment  and  keeping  it  clear  of  filth  and  rubbish. 
These  parties  were  detailed  from  the  several  regiments, 
according  to  their  numbers.  At  nine  o'clock  the  offi- 
cers were  mustered,  and  drilled  an  hour  by  the  brigade 
majors.  At  noon,  at  beat  of  the  drum,  all  repaired  to 
their  tents  for  dinner.  The  several  works  were  con- 
tinued till  four  o'clock  p.  m.,  when  all  the  troops  not 
on  duty  during  the  day  were  mustered  on  the  plain 
before  the  camp,  and  drilled  by  battalions.  At  sunset 
another  discharge  of  cannon  was  the  signal  for  "re- 
treat," which  was  then  beat  by  the  drums,  and  the  roll 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1812-13. 


49 


!! 


called.  Between  seven  and  eight  o'clock  supper  was 
taken.  At  nine  o'clock  "tattoo"  was  beat — the  signal 
for  all,  except  the  guard,  to  retire  to  rest.  The  "coun- 
tersign" for  the  night  was  then  given  to  the  sentinels, 
together  with  instructions  concerning  their  duty.  No 
noise  whatever  was  allowed  during  the  night. 

Another  item  of  camp  duty,  more  worthy  of  note 
than  the  foregoing,  was  the  observance  of  the  public 
worship  of  God  every  Sabbath.  The  exercises  of  the 
first  Sabbath  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Williams  in  one 
of  his  letters,  written  the  same  evening: 

"This  duy  being  the  Sabbath,  a  general  order  was 
issued  in  the  morning  by  the  Governor,  announcing 
that  public  worship  would  be  held  at  his  quarters  at 
eleven  o'clock,  and  inviting  all  who  felt  so  disposed 
to  attend.  At  the  hour  named,  about  six  hundred 
assembled  at  headquarters  for  worship.  There  being 
no  clergyman  in  camp — they  being,  by  law,  exempt 
from  military  duty,  and  as  the  office  of  arn.y  chap- 
lain was  then  unknown — a  public  prayer-meeting  was 
held.  The  Governor  himself  conducted  the  meeting; 
and,  after  reading  the  hymns,  his  aid-de-camp.  Colonel 
Couch,  lined  them  for  the  congregation  to  sing,  when 
the  Governor  called  on  some  one  by  name  to  lead  in 
prayer.  Some  six  or  seven  prayers  were  offered — all, 
I  think,  by  Methodists,  and  with  much  fervor.  The 
meeting  lasted  over  an  hour,  and  was  conducted  with 
the  greatest  good  order  and  solemnity  throughout. 


so 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


1 


"In  the  afternoon,  some  twenty  or  more  of  us  re- 
paired to  the  Governor's  quarters,  at  his  request,  and 
employed  an  hour  or  two  in  singing  sacred  music,  con- 
ducting all  the  parts  of  each  tune  scientifically.  A 
number  of  good  hymns  were  thus  sung  by  good  sing- 
ers, while  several  hundred  of  the  men  in  camp  collected 
around  the  quarters  to  hear." 

A  few  further  extracts  from  the  letters  of  Mr.  Wil- 
liams, written  at  "Grand  Camp,  Upper  Sandusky," 
and  we  close  this  narrative : 

^'August    21,    1813.      Governor  Meigs    informs    me 

that  Commodore  Perry's  fleet  has  arrived  in  Sandusky 

Bay;  and  that  General  Harrison  has  gone  down,  as  he 

supposes,  to  arrange  with  the  Commodore  the  plan  of 

combined  operations  against  the  enemy.     The  British 

prisoners  captured  in  the  attack  a  few  days  ago  on  Fort 

Stephenson— Lower    Sandusky— are    still    here    at   the 

Fort,  but  are  not  closely  confined.     Among    them   I 

find  a  pious  Wesleyan  Methodist— Michael  Lindsay— 

who  declared  to  me  that  he  would  never  go  back  to  the 

British  army,  if  he  could  avoid  it."     [Lindsay,  when 

exchanged  and  on  the  march  back,  made  his  escape,  and 

afterward  settled    in  Chillicothe,  where  he  joined   the 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  pursued  his  business 

as  a  house  painter.] 

''August  ^4,  1813.  .  It  still  remains  uncertain  at  what 
time  the  General— Harrison— will  be  ready  to  proceed 
to  Canada.     The  fleet  is  yet  in  Sandusky  Bay." 


r 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1 8 12-13. 


51 


' 


^* August  25,  1 8 13.  General  Harrison  has  returned 
fro.n  his  visit  to  the  fleet;  and  General  Mc Arthur  and 
some  boats  filled  with  troops  have  gone  up  the  Lake 
and  Maumee  river  to  Fort  Meigs,  where  the  General 
takes  command.  We  are  yet  in  the  dark  as  to  the 
time  General  Hanlson  will  move  on,  and  it  is  quite 
uncertain  whether  he  will  give  us  an  opportunity  to 
'see  some  service'  on  the  other  side  of  the  Lake. 
There  is,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  an  unpleasant  state 
of  feeling  between  the  General  and  the  Governor  in 
relation  to  the  militia  under  the  Governor's  command. 
And  there  is  a  probability,  in  consequence  thereof,  that 
we  will,  in  a  few  days,  be  disbanded.  I  am  sorry  to 
hear  so  much  dissatisfaction  with  the  General  expressed 
in  camp;  but  I  must  say  that  I  have  not  seen  or  heard 
anything  yet  which  has  lessened  my  confidence  in  him." 

'■^August  26,  1 8 13.  Mr.  Kelley,  of  Chillicothe,  who 
bears  this,  left  Seneca  to-day,  but  brings  no  news. 
General  Harrison  was  unwell.  Things  all  appear  now 
to  await  the  naval  action  between  the  two  hostile  fleets, 
which  is  expected  to  take  place  in  a  few  days." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the  loth  of  Septem- 
ber, a  fev/  days  after  the  date  of  this  letter,  the  expected 
"naval  action"  did  take  place — Perry's  great  battle  and 
victory,  in  which  he  captured  the  whole  British  fleet. 

''August  28,  1 8 13.  Our  fleet  is  still  in  Sandusky 
Bay.  Commodore  Perry  is  sick,  and  this  may  have 
delayed  the  sailing  of  the  fleet." 


52 


Expedition  of  Governor  Meigs. 


SI 


11 


% 
1 


"August  29,  1 8 13.  The  Governor  very  politely 
handed  me,  to-day,  an  official  communication  which  he 
had  just  received  from  General  Harrison,  remonstra- 
ting against  retaining  in  service  the  force  then  under 
the  Governor's  command  not  now  necessary.  The 
General  says:  *I  am  alarmed  at  the  astonishing  con- 
sumption of  provisions,  particularly  flour,  at  Upper 
Sandusky.  I  beg  leave  to  urge  an  immediate  explana- 
tion of  the  views  of  your  Excellency,  in  retaining  in 
service  so  large  a  militia  force,  which,  from  the  very 
nature  of  their  organization  and  period  of  service,  can 
not  be  permitted  to  accompany  me  to  Canada.'  The 
Governor,  as  you  may  well  imagine,  was  not  in  a  very 
good  humor,  and  his  reply — which  he  showed  me — 
was  in  no  very  honeyed  terms. 

*'We  shall  probably  receive  orders  to  commence  our 
march  homeward  in  two  or  three  days."     . 

The  expected  order  was  issued  two  days  afterward — 
August  31st — and  the  same  afternoon  the  line  of  march 
was  taken  up.  Colonel  Ferguson's  regiment  reached 
Chillicothe  on  Monday  p.  m.,  September  6th,  and  was 
immediately  disbanded.  Thus  ends  the  campaign  of 
which  we  have  written.  Its  object  was  the  relief  of 
Fort  Meigs,  then  closely  besieged  by  the  enemy.  And 
this  was  evidently  attained  by  the  advance  of  so  large 
a  force;  prudence  dictating  to  the  enemy  their  precipi- 
tate retreat  as  "the  better  part  of  valor."  The  decisive 
victory  of  Commodore  Perry,  on  the  loth  of  Septem- 


Campaigns  in  War  of  1 812-13. 


S2 


ber  following,  and  his  capture  of  the  whole  British  fleet 
on  Lake  Erie,  decided  the  fate  of  the  enemy  on  the 
whole  northwestern  frontier.  The  entire  British  army 
on  the  straits  of  Detroit,  and  all  their  military  posts 
and  dependencies  there  and  on  all  the  upper  lakes,  fell 
an  easy  prey  to  the  victorious  march  of  General  Har- 
rison and  his  army  before  the  close  of  that  autumn. 
7 


' 


\( 


Appendix. 


[The  Muster-roll  of  Captain  Brush's  Company,  preserved  in  the 
War  Office  at  Washington,  contains  the  names  of  only  sixty -nine  men, 
as  follows : 


S 


Henry  Brush,  Captain. 
William  Beach,  Lieutenant. 
John  Stockton,  Ensign. 
William  Robinson,  First  Sergeant. 
Robert  Stockton,  Second  " 

Craighead  Ferguson,  Third  " 
Henry  L.  Prentiss,  Fourth  " 
Richard  Snyder,  First  Corpora/. 
Henry  Wray,  Second  " 

James  McDougal,  Third     " 
John  Buck,  Fourth 


Michael  Byerly 
Levi  Dougherty 
Ebenezer  Petty 
Colby  Chew 
Henry  Buchanan 
William  Bailey 
David  Johnston 


William  Davidson 
George  Rust 
Horatio  Evans 
James  Shaver 
William  Armstrong 
Jacob  Shaffer 
Isaac  Eastwood 


56 


Hx 
II 


^'h 


Appendix. 


Joseph  Cessna 
William  McGrim 
William  S.  Hutt 
Robert  Brady 
Lewis  Davis 
Hugh  Andrews 
Peter  Leister 
Adam  E.  HofFman 
Samuel  McCuIlough 
Robert  Holmes 
Samuel  Willets 
Peter  Brown 
Archibald  Stewart 
George  Smith 
Adam  Bowers 
Thomas  Bailey 
Duncan  McArthur 
Joseph  Miller 
James  Huston 
John  Peebles 
Mahlon  Frazer 
Oliver  Simpson 


1 


John  Mitchell 
John  Watson 
John  G.  McCann 
William  Creighton 
Samuel  Devault 
Cadwallader  Wallace 
Edmund  Brush 
Nathan  Thompson 
John  Hoffman 
James  Cessna 
James  Mitchell 
John  Watson 

Samuel  Williams 

Edward  W.  Pierce 
John  S.  Langham    , 

Isaac  Taylor 

John  Hall 

Stephen  Cessna 

Francis  DeSouchet 

Uriah  Barber 

Joseph  Tiffin 

Abraham  S.  Williams. 
Total,  69.] 


■/ 


1 


Outline  of  Contents. 


Samuel  Williams — Biographical  Sketch,  v. 

1.  Expedition  of  Captain  Henry  Brush  with  Supplies  for 

Gen.  Hull,  1812,  9.     March  of  the  North  Western 
Army    to    Detroit,  9.     Loss    of  Hull's    military 
chest,  etc.,  10.     Hull's  Letter  to  Governor  Meigs, 
12.     Supplies  sent  forward,  13.     Composition  of 
the  Company,  14.     Their  equipment,  15.      March 
to  Urbana,  16.     Incidents  of  march  to  the  Raisin 
River,  16-25.     The  settlement  there,  26.     Com 
munication   with    Detroit  cut  off,   27.     Battle  of 
Maguaga,  27.     General  Lucas,  28.    Colonel  Miller 
Hi     o  rein  ve  Brush,  but  ^ails,  29.     Surrender  of 
Detroit,  ]i.     Brushs'  company  included  in  the  sur- 
render, 32       Arriv;     of  Captain   Elliott  with  flag 
of  truce  and  his  detenti^  \  as  a  spy,  33.     March  of 
the  company  baci    to  Urbana,  34-5- 

2.  Expedition  of  Cover rwr   Meigs  for  the  Relief  of  Fort 

Meigs,  1813,37.  ^)erations  of  General  Harrison, 
37.  Fort  Meigs  built,  38.  Besieged  by  General 
Proctor  and  Tecumseh,  38.    Governor  Meigs  called 


<> 


58 


Outline  of  Contents. 


on  for  reinforcements,  39.  March  to  Upper  San- 
dusky, 40.  Incidents  of  the  march,  41.  A  Court- 
martial — Colonel  Bond,  42.  Letter  from  Harri- 
son, 44.  Fort  Delaware,  45.  Siege  of  Fort 
Meigs  raised,  45.  Grand  Camp  of  Ohio  Militia — 
daily  duties,  47.  Sabbath  services,  49.  Commo- 
dore Perry's  fleet  and  victory,  50,  51.  Orders  for 
homeward  march,  52. 

Appendix. — Muster  Roll  Captain  Brush's  Company,  ^y 


^> 


